Every winter the same complaints arrive at the clinic: skin that feels tight after washing, itchy shins and arms, flaky cheeks, chapped lips and cracked heels. Saurashtra winters are dry, and the habits that make a cold morning bearable (a long hot bath, a heater, layers of wool) are often what make the skin worse.
Why skin dries out in winter
The outermost layer of the skin works like a brick wall: skin cells are the bricks, and natural oils and moisture-holding substances are the mortar. In winter:
- Dry air draws water out of the skin.
- Hot water and soap dissolve the oils that seal it in.
- Heaters and wool add more dryness and friction.
The wall develops tiny cracks. Water escapes faster, irritants get in, and the skin itches, flakes and stings. In people prone to eczema, this is often what sets off a flare.
A winter routine that works
Keep it simple and consistent:
- Short, lukewarm baths. Five to ten minutes, warm rather than hot. Pat dry; don’t rub.
- A gentle cleanser. A mild, soap-free or moisturising wash. Use soap only where needed (underarms, groin, feet) rather than all over.
- Moisturise within three minutes of bathing, while the skin is still slightly damp, so the moisturiser seals the water in.
- Choose a cream or ointment over a light lotion in winter. Useful ingredients: glycerin, hyaluronic acid, ceramides (to attract and hold water) with petrolatum, shea butter or mineral oil (to seal it). Pick fragrance-free if your skin is sensitive.
- Reapply on the hands after every wash and wherever skin feels dry during the day.
- Keep sunscreen on the face and hands in the day. Winter sun still tans and still worsens pigmentation.
- Soft layers next to the skin. Cotton under wool if wool makes you itch.
Our own Body Butter, made with shea butter and aloe vera, is one option for dry skin on the body, and our Moisturising Cream works for face and body. Any cream with the ingredients above does the same job.
If you use retinoids, acids or acne creams, winter is when they irritate most. Use them on alternate nights, apply them over your moisturiser if your doctor agrees, and stop for a few days if the skin is raw.
Chapped lips
- Use a plain ointment such as petroleum jelly several times a day and at night.
- Avoid balms with menthol, camphor, strong flavours or fragrance, which can sting and dry the lips further.
- Use a lip balm with SPF outdoors.
- Stop licking your lips. Saliva evaporates and leaves them drier.
Lips that stay cracked for more than two to three weeks, or crack at the corners, deserve a check: an allergy to a toothpaste or lipstick, an infection or a vitamin deficiency can be the real cause. If your lips are darkening rather than cracking, see dark lips: causes and what helps.
Rough, dotted bumps on the upper arms and thighs that get worse every winter are usually keratosis pilaris; see our guide to “chicken skin”.
Cracked heels
Heels have the thickest skin on the body, and when it dries it splits instead of flaking.
- Soak the feet in lukewarm water for ten minutes, then gently smooth thick skin with a pumice stone, a few times a week, not daily.
- Apply a thick foot cream every night; creams with urea or salicylic acid soften hard skin better than ordinary moisturisers. Cotton socks overnight help it work.
- Wear closed footwear when you can; open sandals and bare floors dry the heels faster.
See a doctor if cracks bleed, ooze, are painful to walk on, or you have diabetes. Deep cracks can let infection in, and in diabetes even small foot wounds need attention.
When winter dryness isn’t just dryness
Book a dermatology consultation if:
- the itch keeps you awake, or scratching leaves marks;
- others at home are itching too, especially between the fingers and at the waist: that points to scabies, not dry skin;
- you see red, scaly or oozing patches, rings, or thick silvery plaques;
- dryness doesn’t improve after two to three weeks of the routine above;
- dry skin comes with tiredness, weight change or hair fall, which can point to thyroid problems.
Eczema and psoriasis often flare in winter and respond much better to a proper plan than to stronger creams from the chemist. Read more about psoriasis and eczema. Fungal infections can also look like dry patches, and steroid creams bought without advice can make them worse.
The good side of winter
Cooler, less sunny months are a good time to start treatments that dislike sun exposure, such as laser hair removal and pigmentation treatment, as long as very dry or irritated skin is calmed first. If you are planning for a wedding or summer, winter is when to begin.
